From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-07-11 13:20:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] one more herb
> > MSNBC just said that gingseng is on the list of things to avoid
>> around the time of surgery. Since this is showing up in so many
>> places perhaps some newspapers will have full lists tomorrow.
>
>I have arthritis and take a good bit of asprin. You should see a
>doctor's eyes light up if he is thinking surgery and I tell him about
>that.
>
>--
>Russ, Booger, Bonnie & Clyde
Oh, yes! Anything that messes with clotting is a problem. Expect
that willow preps are likely on the list for that reason, too.
Haven't seen their full list, but given how it can mess with the
heart I'd not be surprised to find true licorice (not artificial
stuff) on the list of herbs to avoid before and after surgery. It
certainly is something to avoid when circulatory disease is present,
too. (You can tell that I was just talking privately with two people
facing cardiomyopathy in ferrets about our experiences, can't you?)
Herbal meds are like any other meds; they are good in the right
situations, make no difference in some others, and cause problems if
taken at the wrong time or with certain other meds or with
counterindicating conditions. The ways that they are different
include: some folks look down on them; some folks expect them to be
safe cure-alls; it's much harder to get FULL information on them than
for standard meds (though _PDR for Herbal Medicines_, two Varro Tyler
books, and a rare few others present fuller information; and the
quality/safety controls -- though apparently improving for some --
are variable.
Just as with any other medication a person should not be careless
with them and should let the treating health professional -- vets --
know about when they are giving them. (That is also true with
supplements, BTW, Steve's sister three times had bad anemia which
turned out to have been due to her megadosing herself with Vitamin C
to the point where she interfered with B up-take and mineral useages.
Don't know if that could happen with ferrets, but, in case... Our
vets do know that crew get Nutrical and/or Ferretone (depending on
individual) and have an idea of how much.)